The Nieman Fellowship, a prestigious journalism award, has been won by a black South Africa woman for the first time.
In a statement on Monday, Nieman Society of Southern Africa chairman Barney Mthombothi named Lizeka Mda, an executive editor at The Star newspaper in Johannesburg, as the recipient of this year’s award.
She would leave for the United States in August to join American and other foreign journalists on a year-long sabbatical at Harvard University.
”Lizeka deserves this honour in spades. She will learn from her colleagues, and knowing her, she will teach them a thing or two as well,” Mthombothi said.
Mda holds an honours degree in journalism from Rhodes University. In her 18-year career, she has worked at Tribute magazine, Femina and then the Mail & Guardian.
South Africa is the only country outside the US which has been able to send a Nieman fellow to Harvard every year since 1960. – Sapa